Main Picture has gone out

Sets with PIP use two tuners--one for main and one for PIP---likely the main got hit with the static discharge during the storm----Here we always disconnect both power and cable when a storm.

There is a way around this (will lose PIP) with a cable box connected to the audio and video inputs on rear of set---bypass the tuners and use the box to change channels and provide signal.

let me know if questions.

PIP or picture in picture works in two ways with the original remote--new sets with this actually have two tuners in them, one for main picture and one for PIP picture, you can change channels in both, swap the PIP to the main picture or even have both side by side.

Sure its got the PIP? what is brand and model number ?

The Picture in Picture (PIP) on VIZIO televisions works on multiple input sources. This means you have to have signal or a device connected to more than one input on the television and have both inputs selected to display the information going to them. Here is an example. Let's say you have an HD cable box connected to your television and you would like to have more than one channel displayed on the screen in order to keep an eye on both football games at the same time. With one device connected that's not going to work out the way our TV functions. What you want to do is get a coaxial splitter and two extra coaxial cables; these can be found anywhere home theater equipment is sold. Then follow these steps.

1. Turn off both your cable box and television.

2. Take the coaxial cable that comes OUT from the wall and connects to the IN of your cable box and disconnect it.

3. Connect that cable to the IN on your coaxial splitter.

4. Connect your two extra coaxial cables to the OUTs on your coaxial splitter. We will call them cable 1 and Cable 2, just because.

5. Connect cable 1 directly to the DTV/TV input on your television.

6. Connect Cable 2 directly to the IN on your cable box, this will be the same connection you removed it from in step #2. Your HD cable box should still be connected to your television with either an HDMI cable or Component cables (Identified by their Green, Red, Blue colors for video and Red and White cables for audio.)

7. Power on both the cable box and your television. Using the INPUT button on your VIZIO remote select the input connection where your cable box is located your cable box picture should come up on the Main screen.

8. Press the PIP button on your VIZIO remote to bring up the small box in the corner. Press the PIP input button until you select the TV input and you should be ready to go. You may need to perform a channel scan with your TV tuner to locate all available channels before you do this step. In order to understand better how to perform a channel scan please check under the F.A.Q.s in the discussion area of your particular model television.

In order to change channels in the small screen use the PIP CH - and + buttons located near the bottom of the remote. You can swap picture in the Main and Sub screens using the swap button and swap which screen will sound off its audio by using the AUDIO button. You might notice an X next to some of the selections in the INPUT and PIP INPUT screens when you have PIP activated. That means that input selection is unavailable and cannot be used. For example, if you have the input TV selected on your main screen then if you press the PIP INPUT button and bring up that input menu you will see X's next to the TV and AV selections. The X's mean that when you have TV on the main screen you won't be able to use TV or AV on the small screen. Instead you would need to use any of the input selections that do not have an X attached to them.

If the main channel input is not giving you a picture, you need the tuner checked out or replaced. a good indicator is when you select a channel with the remote you will get just snow(sometimes followed by static in the audio)you do get the picture in picture thru the auxiliary inputs on the tv because they go directly into the audio and video drivers and bypass the RF circuitry. One way of making sure that the tuner is the problem is by hooking up the coaxial out of a vcr or dvd player to the main in or cable in of the tv and selecting channel 3 on the tv and then try a tape or a disc, if you get a picture then suspect something crossed in your installation between pip and main in of your tv set.please your feedback if i answered your question.thanks!

If your TV has built-in Duel Tuner then you can see 2nd picture in pip. In remote you have channel up-down button for main picture and another set of channel up-down for pip function to change channels in pip.

this would apear to be a defective main tuner which a tech can replace this unit has two identical tuner modules one for main and one for pip There could be a issue with something called rf switcher. the signal goes in and is switch or routed to the pip tuner. so somewhere between the switcher and tuner the signal is lost.

I was told that in order to view 2 different channels at the same time u have to subscribe to SKYCable and use the digital input instead of the antenna input and the antenna input you will have to use the regular antenna since there is only one tuner in the TV

I uncovered the problem. The "analog tuner" seems to have gone bad. The part is $25 -$36. The set can still be used however. I just removed the coaxial cable from ANT 1 in the back of the TV (this is what I believe has become defective)which was going to a VCR. I then just used composite cables(red,white,yellow)to bring the signal directly to the TV from the cable box, rather than the VCR. All works however, will replace the defective part.

can get my pc n pic to work. it says can not view same channel please clarify problem in more detail thanks

The PIP puts a smaller picture on your main picture. Usually, the smaller picture is generated by a second source, such as a VCR. The VCR must be connected to the main cable signal and connected to the TV through the red, white, yellow RCA jacks. The VCR picks the smaller picture whilt the tuner in the TV picks the main pucture. The PIP circuits digitally add the smaller picture to the larger picture. The PIP cannot be used to veiw 2 different channels at once on satellite systems because the satellite receiver sends only one channel to the set at a time.